Paradiso to lead The Ashley Group as its new president

Timothy Paradiso became president of The Ashley Group on July 1 and now leads a team of 15 employees who serve customers of the company’s health benefits division.

Timothy Paradiso serves as president of The Ashley Group. Toledo Free Press Photo by Duane Ramsey

Paradiso is responsible for all aspects of marketing, sales, strategic planning and customer service for the health benefits division. The firm also has two other divisions: individual health insurance and wealth management.

“In my role as president of the institution, I’m focused on building value for our clients and employees. It’s how we deliver value to the client that makes us different,” Paradiso said of his role in how the company conducts business in a competitive market.

Paradiso said he is getting to know the team of five agents, who all aim to continue offering that unique value to customers. At the same time, he is building his own client base for The Ashley Group.

“We represent several hundred employer groups, from small to large employers, private as well as public such as cities, counties and schools. Each client has different needs and we deliver unique experience to each of our clients,” he said.

Paradiso is striving to create a value proposition where the agent provides advice, products and services that each client needs. Today, there is a big need for advice due to the Affordable Care Act, known to many as Obamacare, Paradiso said.

“We’re right in the middle of the biggest change in the health insurance business in 50 years since the government introduced Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s,” Paradiso said of the act, which passed in 2010.

The Affordable Care Act already has affected many employers and individuals. Paradiso said the company has studied it for three years now and dealt with many of the changes it has caused for businesses and people.

“It’s the law and it’s here to stay. Modifications and changes are to be expected. We are advisers for our clients on how the law will affect them. It affects them differently, some negatively and others positively,” he said.

Paradiso said the big piece of the Affordable Care Act becomes effective in January when businesses with more than 50 employees will be required to sponsor benefits. He said many of those employers already provide health insurance to their employees.

On its website, the Ashley Group includes a report titled, “Continuing to Implement the Affordable Care Act in a Careful, Thoughtful Manner,” written by Mark Mazur, assistant secretary for Tax Policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Paradiso brings more than 25 years of experience serving in executive positions within the health care industry. Prior to joining The Ashley Group, he was CEO of Business Distribution Solutions, where his leadership helped it experience dramatic growth in several states. He also served as CEO of The Celaris Group, which consolidated three large multilocation agencies in Northwest Ohio, offering group benefits, property and casualty insurance, 401(k)s and financial services.

In 2010, Paradiso was inducted into the Entrepreneurial and Business Excellence Hall of Fame, honoring his entrepreneurial spirit and success as a business leader. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Bowling Green State University.

The Ashley Group is based in Maumee with an additional office in Sandusky. Paradiso said he will continue working out of both offices from his family’s home in Catawba.

“We’re very committed to Northwest and North Central Ohio where the majority of our clients are located,” he said.

Paradiso said he knew Carroll Ashley, a founding partner of the firm, for 15 years before coming to The Ashley Group in his current capacity.

“We’ve always had a mutual respect for each other during those 15 years,” he said.

The Ashley Group was founded in 2002 by Ashley and Kevin Intagliata on the premise of providing professional expertise and world class service to its clients. Ashley serves as principal and Intagliata as partner in the business.

The partners said they are intent of on becoming a premier provider of employer-sponsored benefits and specialized service to each and every client. The Ashley Group creates strategic health care solutions for individuals, small and medium-sized companies, large corporations and nonprofit organizations.

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on Thursday, August 8th, 2013 at 7:23 pm and is filed under Eye on Health, Toledo Business Link.
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